Top 10 Reasons Your Small Group Ministry Is Tanking

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Is your small group ministry struggling? Do you feel like you're spinning your wheels; not gaining traction; going nowhere fast?

When a small group ministry is struggling---tanking---there is almost always a combination of the following issues.

Top 10 Reasons Your Small Group Ministry Is Tanking

1. Your senior pastor is not the champion.

The role of small group champion really cannot be delegated. In order to build a thriving small group ministry your congregation (and crowd) must hear about the importance of being connected, the essential role of community, from the most influential person in your church. In almost every case that is your senior pastor.

The role of small group champion really cannot be delegated. In order to build a thriving small group ministry your congregation (and crowd) must hear about the importance of being connected, the essential role of community, from the… Click To Tweet

See also, The Real Reason Saddleback Connects So Many in Small Groups.

2. You have too many connecting and/or disciple-making options on your menu.

It has been conclusively demonstrated that offering more options (a buffet) does not lead to more people connected. More options makes it more difficult to choose; to decide what to do. Narrowing the focus, making the step into community easy, obvious and strategic, results in a larger number of people connected.

It has been conclusively demonstrated that offering more options (a buffet) does not lead to more people connected. Click To Tweet

See also, How Would You Rate the First Steps out of Your Auditorium?

3. You aren't identifying enough new leaders.

An important key to building a thriving small group ministry is launching enough new groups to connect a growing number of unconnected people. In order to launch enough new groups to do that you must be able to identify enough new leaders. If you aren't identifying enough new leaders it is almost never because there aren't enough potential leaders. It's almost always because you just can't spot them.

If you aren't identifying enough new leaders it is almost never because there aren't enough potential leaders. It's almost always because you just can't spot them. Click To Tweet

See also, How Can I Find More Leaders.

4. You've made it too hard to become a leader.

Raising the bar in terms of the steps that lead to becoming a leader (i.e., must be a member, must attend the 8 week class, must know the secret handshake, etc.) does not actually ensure the safety of the flock or prevent dissension or much of anything. Raising the bar does ensure that it will be harder to recruit enough new leaders and new leaders are essential if you want to start enough new groups. See also, Top 5 Keys to Starting New Groups. Lots of New Groups.

5. You've made it too hard to join a small group.

There are a number of barriers that make it more difficult to join a group than it needs to be. Not offering connecting opportunities frequently enough, not making the information easily available, and not talking about small groups often enough are just three of a long list of barriers that make it hard to join a group.

6. You're not talking about small groups and the value of community often enough.

Unconnected people are almost always attend less frequently. If you aren't talking about small groups often enough, it is quite likely they will not be there when you are talking about groups.

Unconnected people are almost always attend less frequently. If you aren't talking about small groups often enough, it is quite likely they will not be there when you are talking about groups. Click To Tweet

See also, 5 Things You Need to Know about Unconnected People.

7. You're not doing the things that enable the largest number of new groups to survive.

It is not enough to start enough new groups. If you want to build a thriving small group ministry you must also be doing the things that help the largest number of the new groups you launch to sustain into their second and third study.

See also, 5 Steps to Sustaining the New Groups You Launch.

8. You're not developing and discipling your small group leaders.

A well-launched new group will come with a built-in support relationship with a coach. While most new leaders will quickly figure out the basics of leading a group (within a few months), they will continue to benefit from a spiritual mentoring relationship with someone a few steps ahead. In addition, the best way to ensure that the leader is doing the right things TO and FOR the members of their group is to focus the right attention on the leaders of your groups.

A well-launched new group will come with a built-in support relationship with a coach. While most new leaders will quickly figure out the basics of leading a group (within a few months), they will continue to benefit from a spiritual… Click To Tweet

See also, 7 Things You Must Do TO and FOR Your Small Group Leaders.

9. You've prioritized adding new members to existing groups over starting new groups.

When I'm diagnosing struggling small group ministries, few issues crop up more frequently than this one. In order to build a thriving small group ministry, prioritizing new groups is an essential practice.

In order to build a thriving small group ministry, prioritizing new groups is an essential practice. Click To Tweet

See also, Critical Decision: Add Members to Existing Groups vs Start New Groups.

10. You haven't paid enough attention to the needs and interests of the crowd and community.

Another very common issue in struggling small group ministries is paying too much attention to the needs and interests of the core and committed (the usual suspects) and not enough attention to the needs and interests of the crowd and community (unconnected people). When you're choosing the topic for your church-wide campaign, don't miss this important issue. When you're choosing the topic for your small group connection, pay close attention to what an unconnected person might see as a helpful study or an interesting study.

A very common issue in struggling small group ministries is paying too much attention to the needs and interests of the core and committed (the usual suspects) and not enough attention to the needs and interests of the crowd and… Click To Tweet

See also, 5 Subtle Differences between Thriving and Struggling Small Group Ministries.

Image by Dave Wilson

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